Pinelands Commission Sells Out Pines for South Jersey Gas Pipeline

Pinelands Commission Sells Out Pines for South Jersey Gas Pipeline

During today’s meeting, the Pinelands Commission voted to approve the South Jersey Gas Pipeline. This votes means that they have determined that the project proposed through the Pinelands Forest Area meets the requirements under the Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). Commissioner Lohbauer raised a motion to table the vote and allow the Office of Administrative Law to review the case. The review would include an evidentiary hearing with cross examination and court proceeding of expert witnesses. Despite the motion being seconded by Commissioner Ashman, the rest of the Commissioners voted it down. They then went on to approve the pipeline anyway. New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel released the following statement:

“Today the Pinelands Commission just sold out the Pinelands and the people of New Jersey! They took the side of South Jersey Gas over doing their job and protecting the Pinelands. This shameful and unlawful approval is to allow a dirty and dangerous pipeline through the Forest Preservation Area in the Pinelands. The approval flies in the face of the thousands of New Jersey citizens, including four former Governors, who have spoken out against the pipeline and contradicts the Commission’s own rules. Over 800 people showed up in opposition today demanding democracy and protection of the Pinelands. However, they voted to approve the application anyway. This is the biggest threat to the Pines since the Pinelands Act was passed forty years ago.

“What makes this more outrageous is that the court ruled that Nancy Wittenberg’s previous approval of the SJG pipeline exceeded her authority. Now the Commission is rubberstamping her decision instead of acting as an independent body. Three years ago, the Commission voted this pipeline down. Since then, Christie stacked the Commission with his cronies. Wittenberg is nothing but Christie’s puppet and has failed to do her job to protect the Pinelands. This is the Pinelands, not the Pipelands and this terrible vote comes from a sham process. The Pines is our Yellowstone or Yosemite and they just voted to ram a pipeline through it.

“The unnecessary and dangerous SJG pipeline will cut through environmentally sensitive land, threaten communities, and cause more climate change impacts. The Pinelands is the largest open space on the eastern seaboard and recognized for its biodiversity by the United Nations. It is also the country’s first National Reserve and holds 17 trillion gallons of water in its aquifer. When the Pinelands Act was passed forty years ago, one of the major reasons was to prevent pipelines coming through to connect offshore oil to refineries in south Jersey. Former Governors Brendan Byrne, Christine Whitman and James Florio, have filed a brief supporting our efforts to reject the pipeline and condemning the actions of the Board of Public Utilities and the Executive Director of the Pinelands Commission.

“This entire process was a sham from the very beginning. The Commission never had a real public hearing or the right to cross-examine or bring in witnesses. The only ‘hearing’ they had was a faade since half the people couldn’t get in. Wittenberg put out her letter full of lies and misinformation after the close of public comment, meaning we can’t even refute her ‘alternative facts.’ Tomorrow they’re going to vote first and allow the public to speak later. This is just Bridgegate in the Pines.

“It is clear the Christie Administration will do anything to ram this project through and to and keep the BL England Power Plant open. The pipeline carries four times as much gas than the plant needs. The Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan says that this project must primarily serve the needs the of the people in the Pines. However, the BL England plant is outside the jurisdiction of the Pinelands. What’s even worse is that they say it’s for reliability for people in Cape May and Atlantic Counties, clearly outside the Pinelands and violating the rules. The Commission should have voted this project down again because it is a public utility that doesn’t meet the needs of the Pinelands. However, they went against their own rules to support the gas companies instead of the people and environment of the Pinelands.

“There have been conflicts of interest throughout this whole process. The decision-makers for this pipeline have been tainted from Christie down. He put many of the Commissioners in their positions so they would help him push through these pipelines. Bob Barr already made up his mind about supporting the pipeline days ago. We also have concerns with his ethical conflicts of interest since he’s raised money for campaigns by groups that support the pipeline. We have similar concerns about Commissioner Brown and possibly others as well.

“In an act of betrayal of the people of New Jersey, the Pinelands Commission broke their own rules and rubberstamped the South Jersey Gas Pipeline. This decision is a major blow to the Pinelands but the battle isn’t over yet. We will continue to fight against this dangerous and damaging pipeline coming through the Pinelands. We will go back to court if we have to in order to keep this unnecessary project from cutting a scar through our state and threatening our drinking water. We fought to save the Pinelands 40 years ago and we’re going to keep fighting now!”